Recommendations for Collaboration Between the US and China on Methane Emissions

The briefing outlines potential areas for U.S.-China collaboration on methane reduction following the U.S.-China Joint Glasgow Declaration. Key opportunities include the use of enteric methane inhibitors, improving rice cultivation practices, developing economic cases for anaerobic biodigesters in waste management, and sharing remote sensing data and facility-level monitoring strategies.

• Agriculture accounts for approximately 40% of total methane emissions in both the U.S. and China, with global agricultural methane emissions totaling roughly four gigatons of CO2-equivalent, or 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• Reducing enteric methane emissions could be achieved through inhibitors like 3-Nitrooxypropanol (3NOP) and red algae; experts suggest that global studies costing $100-200 million could make these strategies ready for deployment within two to three years.
• In the waste sector, collaboration could focus on the economic case for anaerobic biodigesters. While China aims for Zero-Waste Cities in 100 cities by 2025, the program currently excludes anaerobic biodigestion due to a lack of energy production modeling and incentives.
• Remote sensing collaboration opportunities include sharing U.S. facility-level monitoring strategies with Chinese regulators and a multilateral effort between China, the EU, and the U.S. to provide satellite emissions data to governments lacking their own technology.

APA

Barbanell, M. (2023). Recommendations for Collaboration Between the US and China on Methane Emissions. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/update/recommendations-collaboration-between-us-and-china-methane-emissions

Chicago

Barbanell, Melissa. Recommendations for Collaboration Between the US and China on Methane Emissions. World Resources Institute, 2023. https://www.wri.org/update/recommendations-collaboration-between-us-and-china-methane-emissions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Barbanell |first1=Melissa |title=Recommendations for Collaboration Between the US and China on Methane Emissions |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=6 January 2023 |url=https://www.wri.org/update/recommendations-collaboration-between-us-and-china-methane-emissions |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{barbanell2023recommendations, author = {Barbanell, Melissa}, title = {{Recommendations for Collaboration Between the US and China on Methane Emissions}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2023}, month = jan, url = {https://www.wri.org/update/recommendations-collaboration-between-us-and-china-methane-emissions}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }